BRILIANT NIGHT ATTACK BY THE BRITISH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 5

BRILIANT NIGHT ATTACK BY THE BRITISH

ANZACS AND NEW ARMY CORPS ENGAGED' GERMANS' SECOND LINE CAPTURED ' . ; v. ... London, August 4, 2 p.m. The Higli Commissioner reports:—Sir Douglas Haig rejrarte: "Last night, as the result of a minor operation, westward of Pozieres, we gained some ground. As the result of. other minor'operations to the northwards of Bazentin-le-Potit, and also north of Delville Wood, we captured a few prisoners. During the night there was considerable artillery fire on various portions of the British, front. A British raiding party destroyed one of tho enemy's mine ,6haffe. east of , JJoos. Near tho Ypres-Commines road small mines were' exploded on tho enemy's lines, " and the craters occupied by ns." . . London, August 5, 12.30 p.m. A British official report says: "It has been a quiet day in the trenches whioh we captured last night. West of Pozieres we are in very close touch- with' tho enemy. A large number of German dead are lying all round these trenches. We took one hundred prisoners. The enemy's artillery maintained a barrage eoutli of Pozieres most of the day, and shelled a portion of the llaintz Wood. The enemy exploded a mine at Auchy on our side of the crater, indicating somt nervousness on the part of the German miners. . . , "Four British 'aeroplanes engaged seven, of tho onemy for 45 minutes. Three / German machines were brongEt down, and two of the British machines, are missing." , London, August 5, 1.35 p.m. "North of Pozieres and longueval, a night attack,- in, which Australians and New Zealanders and one of the new army corps were engaged, was completely successful. The Germans' main second line system was captured, with several hundred prisoners. Repeated counter-attacks were subsequently delivered against the captured positions, but were repulsed, with very heavy loss. Except for 6ome mining activity near Souchez and Loos, no incident.of importance has occurred ' elsewhere." ' DETAILS OF THE ATTACK ■'i ; -y ENEMY TAKEN BY t SURPRISE. v . (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). fjßenter'B Telegram.) (Bee. Augiigt G, 5.5 -p.m.) -■ Renter's correspondent at Headquarters,' describing the HxTttkT' on - ■ evening, says: "Tho British, and the Australians and New Zealanders rapidly advanced beyond Pozieres, with highly successful results. 'Ono heavy bombardment throughout Thursday evening appeared to havo taken the onemy by surprise the German second-line system being pulverised out of recognition. We crowed on 1 a front exceeding a mile. Three counter-attacks by tho enemy during the night - were repulsed, with heavy losses, owing to the intensity and accuracy of our ar- ' ' ttllerr. Many .of theßemans Already four hundred have been brought in, and others mil folkx Clear, cooler weather lias favoured our operations. Sill DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. , ©outer's • Telegram.) CRec. August 6, 11.5 p.m.) _. _ , . ' , ~T , ~ London, August G. ' Sir Douglas Haig report^: Including. the capture of the trenches reported to-day, our line north ana west of Pozieres has been pushed forward from 40(J to 600 yards on a front of 3000 yards during the last two days. The Australian Nejr Zealand, Kent, Surrey and Sussex troops participated in the operation! and consolidated the ground they won, despite a heavy shell fire. Our artillery shelled Cpurcelette and Miramont and destroyed ten gun-emplacements and three munition stores.". - . , THIAUMONT RETAKEN BY THE FRENCH HEAVY FIGHTING AT VERDUN . DESPERATE COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED The ifigh Commissioner reports:— London, August i, 8.5 p.m. "On the right bank of the Meuse the battle continues on the ThiaumontFleury front, the Germans attacking all night, with cxtremo stubbornness. Several counter-attacks with strong effectives, 'essayed against positions iu the neighbourhood of the Thiaumont work, were repulsed with heavy losses to tho enemy. Our troops succeeded in taking the work, whioh we afterwards abandoned under the violenco of tho enemy's bombardmont, bringing back 80 prisoners. Iu tho region of Floury tho fighting is less violoiit. Following intenso artillery fire, the Germans multiplied their counter-attacks, and after several .ineffective attempts, sot foot in one part of our line southwards of Floury, whore tho combatcontinues to be very lively. All efforts to dislodge.us from the station situated to,the south-east of the villago vrero broken by tho resistance of our troops. "A night attack by the enemy on our new positions oast of Vaeherauville wa« repulsed with heavy losses. In tho Vaux-Chapitro-Chonois region, the artillery is very active. "In the Vosges, at 10 p.m., an attack by the onemy on tho ChapolloLtey salient was dispersed boforo they reached our lines," London, August 5, 12.50 a.m. A French official report says: "In the Somine we bombarded the enemy's organisations.

"On tho right lxmk of the 51'ouso comb,its continued till day in the region ol Thiaunionl and Flsury. North-west of tho south Thmimiout work, nil attacks to dislodge us from tho conquered positions failed. Not only did wo break the enomy etforts, inflicting great losses, but our second oiTensivo onablod us to seize, for the second time ill twelvo hours, tho Thiaumont work, Which now remains in our power, notwithstanding several coiuitor-attacks. The struggle has been continued with great bitterness in tho village of Floury. After having evacuated all tlio viilago this morning, aftor several German, attacks, our infantry t.his afternoon carried the greater part of the village at tho, point of tho bayouot. Tho enemy in still resisting energetically. Tho niunbor of unwouuded Gorman prisoners taken during the day exceeds 44)0. . _ "In tho Vaus-Chapitro and Le Chenois region thero was a violent bombardmont, without infantry action, on Thursday night. "Our air squadrons bombarded tho legion of Verdun. Thirty-two shells wero thrown on Stonay_ station, and 83 on tho stations of Montmody and tho Sedan encampments, and in Damvillers district." London, August 5, 3.5 p.m. A French' official leport "On tho Sommo front tho night was relatively calm. Between the Avro and tho Sommo several Gorman patrols wero dispersed and somo taken prisoner. . " "On the right bank of tho Mouse there was a violont cannonade tlnoughout the Thiaumont and FJeory sector. The Germans attempted, by furious counterattacks, to drivo us out of Thiaumont Wood, .whioli wo firmly occupy. Fighting from nino in the evening until morning, wo oausod heavy enemy losses. Counterattacks wore repulsed without tho. oneiny obtaining the least advantage. Tho combat was equally, lively in.tho village of Floury, tut without appreciable change. Intermittent artillery fighting is proceeding in other sectors on tho right of tbo river. . \ ■ "Bast of Font-a-Mousson, aftor artil lory preparation, tho Germans attacked our tho forest, but failed beforo ottr maohine-gun fire." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE Australian-New Zealand Gable Association. (Eec. August 6, 11.15 p.m.) . Paris, August B. A Fronch official communique statos: "We hold all tho southern part of the village of Floury. The Germans, after an all-day bombardment, made two powerful attacks on tho Vaux-Chapitro Wood. .One was reputeed; tho other penetrated portions of our trenches, but wa6 immediately driven out. our front remains intact." PACKED MASSES OF ARTILLERY NEW FRENCH METHOD OF ATTACK. (Itco. August 5, 8 pjm.) Paris, 'August 5. The fighting at Verdun was of the fiercest character. The artillery on both sides was so packed that moss movements were impossible. General Nlvello adopted infiltration methods of advance, by small parlies, which enabled tho advance to bo made on Floury.. .;. 1 ■ GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. London, August 4. A German official communique states: "Tho Fronoh took possession of "our positions at Fleury and South Thiaumont. Our countor-atback regained complete possession of FTeury and tho trenches west and north-west, of ' the village. Wo repulsed attacks north-west of tho Thiaumont work and Ghapitro, with heavy losses. Tho position was restored to us as it was before tho Fronch attack." (Roc. August 6, 5.5 p.m.) /. ■ ' .' London, August 5. A Gorman official communiques states: "Tho battle north of theSoniiuo, refjrted yesterday, took place along an extended front against strong English forces, art of the fighting continued till nightfall. TBe English who were advancing on Ovillers andl'ouTveaux wero repulsed with heavy losses, after stubborn hand-to-hand fighting. How battles developed to-'day near Poziorea, whilo bitter fighting haa developed in the region of tho Thiaumont work." (Eeo. August 6, 11 p.m.) . Amsterdam, August 6. A German official comrauniquo states: "Strong British forces attacked on a wido front on Friday. After all day fighting- tlioy penetratod a sector from the north of Ovillers to the Fouroaux Wood, but woro driven out with heavy losses in 6ome places, after stubborn fighting." /. ' FANTASTIC REPORTS OF FRANCO-BRITISH CASUALTIES. iEcc. August fi, 5.5 p.m.) . \ . , London, August 5. Faitastio roporfca have been published in German papers of the extent of the Franco-British onsualties on the Somme. Meanwhile a significant ailonoe is maintained about the losses of the Central Empires, which axe conservatively estimated, on .the Eastorn.and Western fronts, to total three-quarters of a million, of which'22o,ooo are either dead or disabled permanently, while "330,000 are prisoners. /Six hundred guns and 1500 maohino-guns have been captured. The Austrian losses against Italy are not included in this estimate.